In recent years many people have lamented the decline of manufacturing in the USA. However, it's not really accurate that manufacturing output has declined in our country, rather it has been manufacturing jobs that have diminished. While many pundits have asserted that jobs are being sent overseas to countries with lower labor costs, this ignores the significant role that automation, technology, and process improvement are playing in manufacturing.

The following video tour of the Tesla automobile factory is breathtaking in its efficiency and level of robotics and automation. I had the opportunity to tour the Mercedes Benz factory in Sindelfingen, Germany in 2001 and while it also had an impressive level of robotics, the Tesla factory seems to have taken it to the next level.

When looking for business acquisitions, buyers often look for sets of systems that work together to produce products and services in an efficient, consistent, repeatable manner. If you want to build a more marketable and valuable business, think about the ways you could use technology and better processes to make your business more efficient, while lowering defects and waste.